Technical Field
The present application relates to a seal member for preventing intrusion of water and the like into a housing, and a connector using the seal member.
Related Art
A connector using a seal member in a first conventional example is illustrated in FIG. 4 (refer to JP 2005-317385 A). In FIG. 4, the connector 50 includes a first connector housing 51, the seal member 52 in the first conventional example, and a second connector housing 53. The first connector housing 51 includes terminal accommodating chambers 51a and a seal-member accommodating chamber 51b continuing to the terminal accommodating chambers 51a. The seal member 52 is arranged in the seal-member accommodating chamber 51b. The second connector housing 53 is fitted to the first connector housing 51 and holds the seal member 52 so as not to depart from the seal-member accommodating chamber 51b. 
The seal member 52 is made of rubber and includes a number of wire insertion holes 52a arranged in parallel along both directions orthogonal to each other. The seal member 52 is also provided, in the vicinity of each wire insertion hole 52a, with positioning holes 52b. Into the positioning holes 52b, there are inserted positioning projections 51c of the first connector housing 51 and positioning projections (not illustrated) of the second connector housing 53.
A terminal (not illustrated) connected to a wire is accommodated in each of the terminal accommodating chambers 51a of the first connector housing 51 as the terminal penetrates through each of the wire insertion holes 52a of the seal member 52. The wire connected to the terminal is closely accommodated in each of the wire insertion holes 52a. Consequently, water and the like are suppressed from entering into the terminal accommodating chambers 51a of the first connector housing 51 along the wires led out from the second connector housing 53.
Meanwhile, when the wires are closely accommodated in the wire insertion holes 52a, the seal member 52 is elastically deformed since the wire insertion holes 52a are enlarged in their diameters. Then, the positioning projections 51c serve to prevent the center positions of the surrounding wire insertion holes 52a from being deviated by the elastic deformation of the seal member 52.
On the other hand, Applicants have proposed a seal member in a second conventional example, as illustrated in FIG. 5 (refer to JP H04-058975 U). The seal member 60 of the second conventional example accommodated in the connector housing 70 is made of rubber and includes a number of wire insertion holes 60a arranged in parallel along both directions orthogonal to each other. In the seal member 60 of the second conventional example, partition grooves 60b are formed between all of the adjoining wire insertion holes 60a. Due to the provision of the partition grooves 60b, the seal member 60 of the second conventional example has its wall thickness between the adjoining wire insertion holes 60a formed thinly. With this arrangement, even if the seal member 60 is deformed elastically since the wire insertion hole 60a is enlarged in its diameters by an inserted wire, it is possible to prevent the center positions of the surrounding wire insertion holes 60a from being deviated, to the utmost.